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Here are some case studies of successful craft selling:
Case Study 1:
Sue found a
cheap source of stainless steel cookie cutters. But rather than just flog them off for a small profit, she decided to ‘value
add’.
She tracked down a wood turner who could make mini-rolling pins out of wood. Then she bought a really
simple apron pattern suitable for a little girl, and made a bunch of calico aprons and calico draw-strong carry bags.
Then for each set (apron, carry bag, rolling pin and 5 cookie cutters) she individually decorated the aprons/ carry
bags with ribbon and appliqué.
What Sue ended up with was a series of totally unique (yet all the same)
gifts for little girls that were very popular in the lead up to Christmas. She even sells them online!
Case
Study 2:
Tom realised that potted plants were always very popular at his local market – and cheap
ones went like hot cakes!
So Tom scrounged all the second-hand nursery pots he could find – from local nurseries,
his mates and the local scavenger yard. Fortunately, his own garden had good soil that he used as potting mixture.
He then harvested his own garden for cuttings, divided up clumping type plants and even found some gum tree saplings growing
in his roof gutter that he hadn’t got around to cleaning out!
After about 4 weeks, he had a great collection
of pot plants ready for sale.
Case Study 3:
Bill lived in a up-market area, populated
with young couples and lots of pets! Bill made the most of this demographic by producing a range of hand-made pet products
including: - Cat and dog biscuit treats – packaged in paper bags decorated with cat and dog themed prints.
- Animal
themed gift boxes and cards – made from his home printer! But made with good quality paper and ink, to give that professional
finish.
- Catnip stuffed soft toys and carpet scratching posts for cats.
- Decorated blankets and sleeping baskets.
Bill
found the success to his market was creating unique gifts for cats and dogs (and their owners) using quality materials –
in this up-market area, the customers were prepared to pay for quality.
Case Study 4:
Re-engineered clothing can be a popular market item, provided it is re-engineered with quality materials and assembly.
Jane was quite successful at this. Using worn denim clothing from second hand clothing shops in conjunction with materials
again taken from second hand clothing, Jane would use denim skirt yokes to provide structure to a flowing skirt (taken from
an old dress), use contrasting materials to patch worn tailored jeans (but patching a funky and deliberate pattern, not just
replacing the worn bits) and felting old woollen jumpers to create beautiful fabric for long coats and jumpers.
As a side market, she also made unique designer rag-dolls from the odds and ends.
The key to Jane’s success
was a keen eye for fashion and design, combined with good sewing skills.
Case Study 5:
It all comes down to presentation: - Home made soaps – we all witnessed the ‘bath-bomb’ craze, which
just goes to show that a twist on the traditional soap and bath salts is always popular. And it all comes down to presentation.
Try a herbal bath-salt teabag with dissolvable bath cookies, or simply package your products in decorated paper boxes or bags.
- Baked
goods - always a favourite, but you can maximise appeal by getting the presentation edge right. Make and decorate paper boxes
and bags as gift wrapping for your goods and to entice customers.
- Wooden toys made from building off-cuts –
pine is planed to provide a smooth, splinter-less finish and brightly painted. Even simple building blocks are irresistible
to parents when they’re carefully and brightly painted.
This is just a few examples
of successful crafts – if you have any stories or case studies on selling craft (good or bad) then let us know via our
feedback form, and we’ll add it to this page.
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